Vipin Vijayan, a research scholar at the University of Kerala who has been at the centre of a controversy surrounding his PhD degree, has lodged a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram City Police alleging caste-based discrimination by the Head of the Department (HoD) of Sanskrit, C.N. Vijayakumari.
In his complaint submitted to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kazhakuttam, Mr. Vijayan has sought steps to register a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the complaint, Prof. Vijayakumari, who also serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, allegedly made casteist remarks and obstructed the scholar’s research progress. He alleged that the professor had told him that people from backward castes should not study Sanskrit and that the “sanctity of the department was lost” because students from “lower castes” were being admitted.
Mr. Vijayan also claimed that despite supervising his MPhil dissertation and certifying his proficiency in Sanskrit, during his PhD open defence Prof. Vijayakumari declared him unqualified to pursue a PhD. He alleged that this amounted to an attempt to sabotage his academic career due to personal bias.
Complaint to V-C
The scholar has also submitted a written complaint to the Vice-Chancellor (V-C), urging strict action against the professor.
Bindu promises probe
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu condemned the incident and promised that a comprehensive inquiry would be instituted into the issue. She asserted that no student, especially those coming from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, should face any barriers in their pursuit of knowledge. “It is highly unfortunate and contradictory that the same teacher who certified the student’s MPhil dissertation is now claiming that the student does not know the language. Completing a PhD dissertation and successfully defending it before experts require immense effort and intellectual commitment. Such remarks are deeply regrettable,” she said.
Dr. Bindu added that the comments made by the faculty member could be seen as a manifestation of personal prejudice and discrimination, which should never occur on university campuses.
Published – November 07, 2025 08:13 pm IST
